The Mariners return to Blundell Park on Saturday afternoon as Town welcome Fleetwood for the third game of the 2026/27 Sky Bet League Two campaign.
David Artell’s side will be looking to continue their unbeaten start to the league season after opening with a 1-0 victory over Exeter City before a goalless draw away at Walsall last weekend. Town have kept clean sheets in both of their opening league fixtures and will now look to make home advantage count once again.
Fleetwood also arrive in Cleethorpes unbeaten in their opening two league games, with Matt Lawlor’s side collecting four points from victories over Chesterfield and a goalless draw with Gillingham. The Cod Army have also kept clean sheets in both matches, setting up an intriguing meeting between two sides with identical defensive records.
The Opposition
Founded in 1997, Fleetwood Town are affectionately known as the Cod Army and have risen rapidly through the English football pyramid since their formation.
The club reached the League One play-offs in 2016/17 after finishing fourth, their highest-ever league finish, before returning to League Two in recent seasons. Fleetwood ended the 2025/26 campaign in 15th place and will be hoping to push further up the division this time around.
The Cod Army are now managed by Matt Lawlor, who was appointed permanent manager on a contract running until the end of the 2027/28 season.
A local lad himself, Lawlor joined Fleetwood in 2019 as youth team coach before progressing into a senior coaching role as Head of Coaching and Player Development. He has also enjoyed two spells as caretaker manager of sister club Waterford in the League of Ireland Premier Division.
Standing alongside Lawlor in the Fleetwood dugout is a familiar face to Mariners supporters, with former Town defender Nathan Pond now serving as assistant head coach.
A Strong Start
Fleetwood have made an impressive start to the new campaign, collecting four points from their opening two League Two fixtures while keeping a clean sheet in each.
Their campaign began with a 1-0 victory away at Chesterfield, with the Cod Army following that result with a goalless draw against Gillingham at Highbury Stadium.
Fleetwood then strengthened their confidence further in midweek, producing a commanding 4-0 victory over Shrewsbury Town in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Will Boyle’s own goal gave Town an early lead before captain Ched Evans struck twice before half-time. Will Davies completed the scoring in stoppage time to book Fleetwood’s place in the third round.
Evans has now scored four goals in his opening four competitive appearances of the campaign, while Fleetwood have yet to concede a goal across those four fixtures.
Mariners’ Start
Town have also made an unbeaten start to their league campaign, opening with a 1-0 victory over Exeter City at Blundell Park. Harvey Rodgers scored the only goal of the game in the first half, meeting Charles Vernam’s corner as Town secured three points and a clean sheet.
Artell’s side then followed that victory with a goalless draw at Walsall last weekend. The Mariners defended resolutely to restrict the Saddlers and return to Lincolnshire with another clean sheet and a valuable point.
Town currently sit on four points from their opening two games and will now be looking to maintain their unbeaten start in front of another home crowd.
Head-to-Head
Saturday’s fixture will be the ninth competitive meeting between the two clubs. Fleetwood currently hold the advantage in the overall head-to-head record, winning five of the previous eight encounters compared with three victories for the Mariners. There have been no draws between the sides.
The first meeting came at Blundell Park on 18th September 2010, when Fleetwood recorded a 2-1 victory. Gareth Seddon and Nathan Pond put the visitors two goals ahead before Alan Connell pulled one back for Town.
Fleetwood completed the double that season with a 3-0 victory at Highbury on 19th February 2011, with Magno Vieira, Seddon and Keigan Parker on target. Town also saw Micky Cummins sent off during the afternoon.
The Cod Army’s last victory at Blundell Park came on 13th August 2011, when second-half goals from Andy Mangan and George Donnelly secured a 2-0 success. Since then, however, the Mariners have enjoyed the upper hand. Town have won the last three meetings between the sides, including both encounters last season, with Jaze Kabia scoring the decisive goal in each.
Last Time We Met
The most recent meeting came at Blundell Park on 17th March 2026, when Town secured a 1-0 victory over Fleetwood. That result followed another 1-0 Mariners win at Highbury Stadium on New Year’s Day, meaning Town completed a league double over the Cod Army last season.
The Mariners will now be looking to extend that winning run to four consecutive victories against Fleetwood.
One to Watch
Lewis McCann
Standing at 6ft 2in, Lewis McCann provides Fleetwood with a physical presence in attack and can also operate on the left side of midfield.
McCann began his career with Hutchison Vale before spells with Hearts and the Fife Elite Football Academy. He signed his first professional contract with Dunfermline Athletic in May 2018 and went on to make 169 appearances for the club, scoring 28 goals.
His most productive campaign came in 2022/23, when his 10 goals helped Dunfermline win the Scottish League One title. McCann initially joined Fleetwood in August 2025 and signed a new contract with the Cod Army in May this year. He has also represented Northern Ireland at Under-19 and Under-21 level.
Danny Andrew
Danny Andrew returned to Fleetwood Town for a third spell in June, bringing considerable experience back to Highbury after previously making 195 appearances for the club across two spells. Predominantly a left-back but also capable of playing at centre-back, Andrew is particularly dangerous from set-pieces.
His first spell with Fleetwood came between 2014 and 2016 before he returned in 2019, remaining until 2023. In total, he has scored 17 goals for the Cod Army.
Played for Both
A number of players have represented both clubs since Fleetwood’s rise through the divisions.
Nathan Pond is perhaps the most familiar name, having spent part of the 2012/13 campaign on loan at Blundell Park. The defender made 26 appearances and scored five goals during his spell with the Mariners before returning to Fleetwood, where he went on to make more than 450 appearances.
Other players to have represented both clubs include Danny Andrew, Denver Hume, Toby Mullarkey, and Harvey Rodgers.
The Numbers
- Grimsby have won each of their last three meetings with Fleetwood Town.
- Town have won both league meetings with Fleetwood during the 2025/26 season.
- Fleetwood have lost five of their last six league games against sides from Lincolnshire, with each defeat coming by a one-goal margin.
- Grimsby are looking to remain unbeaten across their opening three Football League games of a campaign for the second consecutive season.
- Fleetwood have kept clean sheets in each of their opening two League Two fixtures this season.
- Fleetwood have only once previously kept clean sheets in each of their opening three Football League games of a season, doing so in 2017/18.
- Both teams have collected four points and conceded no goals from their opening two League Two fixtures this season.
- Fleetwood’s last victory at Blundell Park came in August 2011.
Match Officials
Robert Massey-Ellis will take charge of Saturday’s fixture, with Matthew Sowerby and Wayne Grunnill appointed as assistant referees and Kenwyn Hughes named as fourth official.
Massey-Ellis has already officiated two matches during the 2026/27 season, issuing seven yellow cards across his appointments.
The referee’s most recent Grimsby Town appointment came during the 2024/25 season, when he took charge of Town’s 1-1 draw away at Cheltenham Town. He issued four yellow cards during the match and awarded a penalty.
Enjoy the game, Mariners, and get behind the Town as we welcome Fleetwood to Blundell Park!
UTM
